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Frankie Dettori to miss Royal Ascot meeting due to injury

Jun 20 2017 by Dustin Murphy

The heat wave sweeping across Britain has led Royal Ascot organisers to consider relaxing the dress code if conditions become too uncomfortable for spectators at this week's prestigious horse race meeting. It was a gamble and he was wondering if it would pay off after his first runner, Cannonball, had finished sixth in the King's Stand Stakes on the opening day of the fixture.

The opening day concludes with the Windsor Castle Stakes and Wesley Ward has saddled the victor of this listed event twice in recent years.

Previous winners of the celebrated contest include the legendary Frankel and the victory was Fahey's first at Group One level at the Royal meeting.

Popular sentiment may never see the green flag wrapped around Irish fortunes at Royal Ascot the way they are at Cheltenham but in hard-headed business terms this most global of racing weeks could wind up once again with a distinct "Made In Ireland" tag. On my first trip I was overwhelmed by it, the scale, the pageantry - you can't see the Queen without getting star struck can you?

"There are a lot of good horses in the race and we have total respect for them all".

The annual June meeting at Ascot is one of the most important in the British flat-racing calendar, and climaxes with the Ascot Gold Cup on Saturday.

Xpressbet now offers legal online wagering to customers in 38 states in the USA, including events at more than 300 tracks around the world. I felt I was going nowhere and, yes, I thought about calling it a day.

That last breeze came at Ascot on Wednesday after which Ward was initially anxious.

Last year's victor Profitable came home well, but Lady Aurelia extended her advantage in the final 100 yards and passed the post three lengths in front.

"He loves his horses".

The selection is 3/1 at BetVictor and that looks a fair price if she is in the same mood as last term. She pulled six pounds from the 4-year-old filly Marsha, who was third, a head behind Profitable, as the surprising favorite over Lady Aurelia in England.

Velazquez said: 'It's unfortunate for Frankie and a bad situation for him, but she was spectacular. "I'm really excited for her".

She has run very three solid races for Aidan and, while giving weight all around in a race like this is always going to be tough, I do think a mark of 104 is fair on what she has achieved.

"It opened my eyes when she walked into the paddock at Ascot like she owned the place".

"We're looking forward to it".

Ward, who has a USA -record seven winners at Ascot since his first in 2009, also has high hopes for Arawak in the Coventry Stakes on Tuesday and Happy Like A Fool in the Queen Mary on Wednesday. He was also set to ride Ulysses in the Prince of Wales' Stakes and Commonwealth Cup contender Bound For Nowhere. Lady Aurelia ran five furlongs on a fast-playing course labeled good-to-firm in 57.45 seconds.

"It doesn't get much better than this, it's the biggest week in our sport and to wear the royal blue for Sheikh Mohammed here is absolutely fantastic".

It is always unsafe narrowing down an eight runner Group One into a match but that is over-riding impression the St James's Palace Stakes gives; a rerun of Newmarket's 2,000 Guineas but on a very different course.

The high-neck, long-sleeved dress style is one the Duchess knows works well.